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Two international outfits competing for 22nd edition K&S accolade
By Michael Benjamin
Eighteen local football teams will join two international outfits, Caribbean United and Caledonia AIA of Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago respectively in highly anticipated duels that eventually nets the best unit the top prize when the 22nd edition of the Kashif and Shanghai football extravaganza gets underway from December 10 – January 1.
Those teams battling for the prestigious award are from Linden, Topp XX, Milerock, Net Rockers, Amelia’s Ward United and Winners Connection. The East Coast teams are BV/Triumph, Victoria Kings and Buxton Stars. West Demerara will field Den Amstel and Seawall United, while New Amsterdam United and Rosignol United will travel from their Berbice base to join the fray. Bartica will field one team, Mill Ballers, while Timerhi Panthers, Kuru Kururu Lions and Grove Hi-Tec will comprise the East Bank teams.
Several team representatives traveled to the Duke Lodge, Duke Street Kingston, yesterday morning where the Kashif and Shanghai duo, Kashif Muhammad and Aubrey ‘Shanghai’ Major conducted the official ceremony which included a briefing session and the introduction of some of the sponsorship entities.
The K&S duo is joined by Colin Aaron (extreme right) and DDL representative, Larry Wills (extreme left) at yesterday’s press conference.
Mr. Muhammad assured the gathering that the tournament would be just as qualitative as the preceding ones. He pointed out that the intensity witnessed in earlier tournaments was generated from the passion of the respective teams. He said that while winning the prize money was extremely important, he had noted the pride and passion exhibited by the respective teams during the actual tournament.
Defending champions, Alpha ‘The Hammer’ United football club, had clinched the title in the 2007-2008 and the 2010-2011 editions and earned the tab as one of the better units locally. That team will not participate in this year’s edition and Mr. Muhammad explained that this stemmed from their involvement in a court action against the Guyana Football Federation (GFF). He said that the tournament is conducted under the auspices of the ruling body and as such his executives were constrained by the FIFA ruling which frowns on such actions, forcing his team to deny the Alpha unit permission to participate. “It is my fervent hope that this situation would reach an amicable solution very soon,” said Mr. Muhammad.
The K&S boss also took time out to laud the efforts of the Golden Jaguars who, by dint of their earlier victories over Barbados, Bermuda and Trinidad and Tobago, have qualified for the next round of the FIFA World Cup Qualifying tournament. He further commended the efforts of elderly statesman, Charles ‘Lily’ Pollard, whose football prowess has left an indelible mark in the football arena both locally and internationally.
Meanwhile, Marketing Assistant of the Demerara Distillers Ltd, Larry Wills disclosed that his company would be offering sponsorship under the Pepsi/Gatorade brand. He said that this is the second year that DDL has offered corporate chivalry to the sustenance of the tournament. The DDL representative said that he is pleased with the organizing techniques employed by the K&S duo. He wished them good luck even as he urged the players to exhibit discipline and commitment even as they aspire to win the tournament.
The K&S football tournament had humble beginnings in the mining Town of Linden as a four team tournament in 1989. Banks DIH Ltd was the major sponsor and put up the $4,000 first prize. Over the years, the tournament has outgrown the meager accommodation at the Mackenzie Sports Club ground and the organizers were forced to move the finals to the more accommodative Providence Stadium.
Activities reached a climax in 2009 when King Pele was invited as the guest of honour and since then the tournament has grown to immense proportions where sponsors were tumbling over to have their products advertised. This year, beverage giants, Ansa McAl has launched the ‘Under the Crown’ Promotions where members of communities will contest for over three million dollars that will go towards the development of the physical and social infrastructure of the community that nets the most crowns from Stag beer bottles. Particulars of this competition had appeared in an earlier edition of this publication.
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